Multi-State Lottery Association officials first increased the expected prize on Tuesday from $400 million to $450 million because of fast sales for the largest lottery jackpot in nearly a year.

No one has won Powerball's biggest prize since Nov. 4. The jackpot now is the sixth-largest ever in North America, and if there is no winner after Wednesday night's drawing, the prize will keep climbing to $675 million, the largest jackpot ever in U.S. lottery history.

"This is the fourth-largest Powerball jackpot ever. In fact, it's the sixth largest jackpot of any kind ever," said Gordon Medenica, director of the Maryland Lottery. "This is when it becomes a cultural phenomenon, and everybody is talking about it."

The biggest jackpot was a $656 million Mega Millions prize won in 2012. The last time Powerball had grown this large was in February 2015, when three winners split a $564.1 million prize.

The following are record jackpots as of Wednesday:

1. $656 million in March 2012 (Mega Millions)2. $648 million in December 2013 (Mega Millions)3. $590.5 million in May 2013 (Powerball)4. $587.5 million in November 2012 (Powerball)5. $564.1 million in February 2015 (Powerball)6. $500 million Wednesday (Powerball)

Powerball is played in 44 states as well as the District of Columbia, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.